Ferro Concepts’ The Slingster is immensely popular and with good reason.
It had been a while since I used one, but leading up to this article I was lucky enough to get some trigger time with a mate’s Slingster (thanks Andy D) and it’s every bit as good as I remembered.
This review is a refresh of one I published in January 2018. I’ve updated it in order to help support the release of Ferro’s M81 Slingster, one of which has been provided to me as a promotional giveaway by Tactical Kit.
Thanks to them and to Ferro.
Head over to my IG for details on how to get in on the giveaway process.
To be perfectly honest, T-Rex Arms’ demonstration will tell you everything you need to know about the sling, so I’ve embedded it below (you’ll have to click through if you’re following via email).
However, for those who like a read I’m going to run through The Slingster’s salient features and give my thoughts on its quality, ease of adjustment and usability.
The Slingster presents as a two point, padded, adjustable sling.
Two point adjustable slings are useful because – amongst other things – they allow you to cinch a weapon close to your body, whilst dealing with duties which require both hands free.
Adjusting the sling is achieved using the ratchet mechanism pictured above and the attached loop – which is like a giant zip pull from the 1970s.
I’m not that keen on the small loops of this type, because of the inherent give in the rubbery compound they are composed of; and due to their small size.
On The Slingster, however, it works really well because:
- It’s gigantic – so it is perfect for my large, gloved hands
- During weapon manipulation you’re making big movements – not smaller, more precise ones
- It’s really grippy and easy to get hold of, compared to the webbing tabs or paracord pull cords of competitor slings
Equally, unlike some competitor solutions, there’s no ‘tail’ on The Slingster. This is a big win. Its adjustment system is captive – so there’s no trailing webbing when the sling is cinched close to the body.
Unlike most padded slings, The Slingster’s pad is moveable; so you can adjust it to sit just where you want it. It’s also completely removable.
Rather than being stuffed full of thick foam, the padded section is slim in cross section but wide – thus spreading the load effectively, but keeping bulk low. It’s how I like my pack straps and it works really well in this implementation.
Adjusting the absolute length of the sling is easy. It happens at the extremes only, which is also where user-selected weapon adaptors can be added. This minimises the use of multiple tri-glides.
While adding weapon sling adaptors is an additional expense, you get to decide on exactly what you want; or you can direct mount the sling where the facilities exist.
In the pic below from 2018, I used a QD sling swivel up front and a Mash hook at the rear:
As usual with Ferro, quality is excellent. The webbing is flexible and the stitching is straight and true. And, while it’s still the same innovative Canadian design, the sling is now made in the USA. This is perhaps a strategic move by the company, to ensure The Slingster is able to compete for US Military contracts on an equal footing with other Berry Complaint products.
It’s one of the easiest two points to set up and use, and because there’s no tail it’s also low drag and frustration-free.
The Slingster is widely used by high speed types in the wild, which is always a marque of quality.
Want more Ferro Concepts reviews? You can find a whole list of them here. The list is updated as more reviews are published.
This review first appeared on the blog in January 2018. It has been refreshed in order to promote Ferro’s new M81 Slingster.
The Reptile House 